Apple Products Are Green Once Again

Apple has re-listed its products on the eco-friendly EPEAT product registry and its products are green once again. According to an open letter published on Apple’s website, Bob Mansfield, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, recognized his move was a mistake and, starting July 13, all products are green again.Apple broke the news about a week ago when it pulled about 39 products from the registry, including desktops, laptops and monitors, claiming the company’s design doesn’t comply with EPEAT requirements.

The reaction didn’t meet with any delay: the next day, San Francisco’s Department of the Environment stated that it wouldn’t spend a cent of city funds on Apple computers, as they “no longer qualify”. EPEAT enrollment is voluntary, and its standards were developed by participating manufacturers—which obviously includes Apple—working hand-in-hand with green groups. Both the new iPad and the new Retina Display MacBook Pro’s difficult reparability turned out to be one of the public reasons Apple and EPEAT parted ways.

Apple’s decision shocked its customers, especially because the company puts a high accent on its product’s eco-friendly features. Apple was the first company to remove toxins such as BFRs (brominated flame retardants) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) from its products. The company defended its position by saying that its products comply with environmental standards EPEAT doesn’t even measure, and this includes Apple's most successful product lines such as the iPhone and the iPad.

In the end, both EPEAT and Apple decided to unite their paths once again, with Apple citing its customer base disappointment to justify its 180-degree turn.

"We’ve recently heard from many loyal Apple customers who were disappointed to learn that we had removed our products from the EPEAT rating system. I recognize that this was a mistake. Starting today, all eligible Apple products are back on EPEAT," Mansfield wrote.

EPEAT’s letter, however, makes us think Apple has achieved what it wanted: ongoing standards development, so it can include all of its products.

"We look forward to Apple’s strong and creative thoughts on ongoing standards development. The outcome must reward new directions for both design and sustainability, simultaneously supporting the environment and the market for all manufacturers’ elegant and high-performance products," EPEAT CEO Robert Frisbee wrote.